Month: February 2013

The Turn On The Jets 12 Pack with 12 positive…yes positive things about the 2013 New York Jets

When evaluating the New York Jets current situation it is easy to come off sounding abundantly negative all the time. We aren’t going to sugarcoat anything on this site, the team isn’t in a good situation right now and is sorely lacking in talent on both sides of the ball. There’s not much sense to providing false hope or hype to a roster in dire need of rebuilding. HOWEVER, there is always some positives somewhere right? Even for the 2013 New York Jets, let’s take a look at them

The TOJ Draft team looks at some potential Safety prospects for the New York Jets in this year’s NFL Draft.

In continuation with our positional breakdowns of potential NFL Draft prospects for the New York Jets, we turn our attention to a position in need of a substantial upgrade in terms of both starters and overall depth. Today, our draft team provides a breakdown of the top five potential safeties that could be selected by the Jets in April’s draft. These initial rankings are certainly subject to change as we progress through the entire pre-draft process, but as it stands now, these players are who we feel would be the best options for New York’s secondary. Be sure to give our draft team a follow on Twitter, and to check out our previous breakdowns of potential quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, offensive linemen, defensive tackles, and defensive end/outside linebacker.

Frank Giasone goes over what to watch for at the 2013 NFL Scouting Combine

For some, the football season ended shortly after Ray Lewis hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in New Orleans. And while that was officially the final day of the season, the truth is the NFL never really goes away. This weekend is further proof of that, as over 300 of the best college football players in the country head to Indianapolis for the 2013 NFL Scouting Combine, all in preparation for April’s NFL Draft.

A few weeks ago I wrote a piece aimed at explaining why Antonio Cromartie will never be the great cornerback that some people believe he already is. Yet recently my Twitter timeline has repeatedly told me that the Jets can afford to trade Darrelle Revis because Cromartie can step in and fill his shoes. So I’m going to try again, only this time perhaps some pictures might be worth a few thousand words.

The first play that’s up for consideration is taken from the Jets’ Week 16 encounter with the San Diego Chargers. Philip Rivers and his men are trailing by four points in the 3rd quarter, and are facing a pivotal 3rd & 7 from the Jets 37-yard line (Picture 1). Cromartie is circled in yellow, and Chargers wide receiver Danario Alexander (who has only recently joined the team after being cut by the St Louis Rams) is circled in red.

Picture 1

Despite Alexander throwing a double-move at him – something that has been a problem in the past – Cromartie’s coverage is initially good (Picture 2) and it’s worth noting that at this point he is focusing exclusively on the movement of his assigned man (inset).

Picture 2

But when he sees Alexander turns to look over his shoulder, Cromartie decides to quit playing his man (Picture 3) and instead he seeks to locate the ball.

Picture 3

Effectively, Cromartie has made a bad choice by gambling here but there’s still a chance that he might get lucky and hit the jackpot if Rivers comes up short on the pass. But unfortunately for the Jets no such thing happens and even Cromartie’s renowned athleticism is not enough to make up for his poor decision-making ability as Alexander hauls in the touchdown (Picture 4).

Picture 4

To reinforce the point that while Cromartie is undoubtedly a fine athlete, his game will always be hurt by a lack of what Bill Belichick refers to as ‘FBI’ (Football Intelligence) let’s dig a little deeper into the archive and revisit Week 10’s game against the Seahawks. The ‘Hawks are up by two touchdowns with 8:08 to go in the fourth, and after two consecutive penalties they have a 1st and Goal from the Jets 23-yard line (Picture 5). If they’re to get back into the game, the Gang Green boys simply have to make a stop on this drive. The Seahawks come out with Golden Tate (turquoise) lined up at flanker, but prior to the snap he motions towards quarterback Russell Wilson and takes a handoff. Meanwhile, split end Sidney Rice (red) is ready to face off against Cromartie.

Picture 5

Initially Cromartie does a great job of tying Rice up with press coverage but when he senses that Tate may be headed in his direction he decides to forget his coverage assignment (Picture 6) and – despite close run support from three unblocked teammates – he tentatively takes the first few steps towards tracking forwards.

Picture 6

By the time Tate has cocked his arm to throw (Picture 7), the wide open Rice has a full six yards of separation between himself and Cromartie.

Picture 7

Finally we’re left with the image of Cromartie gazing on helplessly as Rice pulls in the catch to plunge a final dagger into Jet hearts (Picture 8).

Picture 8

As much as I wish it were true that Cromartie is a ‘Shutdown Corner’ the reality is that you don’t have to go through too much game tape in order to find repeated evidence of his inability to make the correct decision at the right time. He’s a tremendous athlete – that’s beyond question – but unless he suddenly develops some ‘FBI’ he will never be fit to wear the shoes of Revis and (maybe more importantly) despite how highly-prized he is by some Jets fans, GMs around the league will never be prepared to give up particularly high value in any attempt to trade for him. Like it or not, that’s the long and short of it all.

The Turn On The Jets staff debates how the New York Jets should handle their secondary this off-season

Welcome to our off-season review of the New York Jets roster at Turn On The Jets. Each week we are going to attack a different position. We will have a roundtable discussion on it, Steve Bateman will submit a film breakdown examining it and our draft staff will look at potential prospects the Jets could add. So far we have covered quarterback, running back, wide receiver, offensive line, defensive line, linebacker, this week we move to the secondary.

The New York Jets began the rebuilding process today with a few long overdue moves

The New York Jets made a handful of long anticipated transactions today, releasing linebackers Calvin Pace and Bart Scott, safety Eric Smith, offensive lineman Jason Smith and waiving tight-end Josh Baker. The moves surprised nobody but marked an important turning of the page and a beginning of the arduous process of rebuilding the roster.

Chris Gross sits down with former Denver Broncos’ General Manager Ted Sundquist for part 2 of their NFL Draft discussion.

Welcome back to part 2 of our 2013 NFL Draft discussion with former NFL General Manager Ted Sundquist. If you missed part 1, be sure to check that out here, while learning more about the work Mr. Sundquist has done throughout him time in the league.

Chris Gross sits down with former Denver Broncos’ General Manager, Ted Sundquist, to discuss the ins and outs of all things NFL Draft.

Recently, I had the privilege of sitting down with former Denver Broncos’ General Manager, Ted Sundquist, of TheFootballEducator.com and Eye-Draft.com to discuss the ins and outs of the NFL Draft. We talked about topics ranging from scouting, strategy, evaluating, and beyond. Mr. Sundquist has provided us with some fantastic, first hand, insight that you will not find anywhere else.

The Turn On The Jets Draft Team takes a look at potential Inside Linebacker prospects for the Jets in the 2013 NFL Draft.

In continuation with our positional breakdowns of potential NFL Draft prospects for the New York Jets, we turn our attention to a position that, although may not seem as bad as it looks on the surface, could still benefit from some depth additions, while building toward the future. Today, our draft team provides a breakdown of potential inside linebackers that could be selected by the Jets in April’s draft. These initial rankings are certainly subject to change as we progress through the entire pre-draft process, but as it stands now, these players are who we feel would be the best additions to New York’s interior linebacking corps. Be sure to give our draft team a follow on Twitter, and to check out our previous breakdowns of potential quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, offensive linemen, defensive tackles, and defensive ends/outside linebackers.

Also, be sure to look for part 1 of our 2 part draft interview with former Denver Broncos’ General Manager, Ted Sundquist, of TheFootballEducator.com and Eye-Draft.com. Mr. Sundquist was kind enough to sit down with us and provide some excellent insight on all things NFL Draft. This will be a must read for any of our draftniks and New York Jets/NFL fans. If you aren’t already doing so, be sure to give Ted a follow on Twitter and to check out TFE and Eye-Draft for more fantastic NFL Draft insight and interaction.